


Project Runway Exit Interview: David Archuleta

by descartes



Series: Project Runway AU [2]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M, Project Runway AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-05
Updated: 2014-05-05
Packaged: 2018-01-22 00:25:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1569242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/descartes/pseuds/descartes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Project Runway runner-up David Archuleta might not have made it work all the way to the top this season, but his talent and dedication to his craft (and that infectious laugh!) has made him one of its stand-out stars. We caught up with him after the finale for a chat about his work, his post-PR career and the road trip with winner David Cook that you can't deny you want to watch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Project Runway Exit Interview: David Archuleta

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quack](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=quack).



> 1000+ words of Project Runway AU for [](http://quack.livejournal.com/profile)[**quack**](http://quack.livejournal.com/) , who definitely did not expect me to take _months_ on a [](http://help-haiti.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://help-haiti.livejournal.com/)**help_haiti** lightning round donation.
> 
> Thanks to [](http://epicflailer.livejournal.com/profile)[**epicflailer**](http://epicflailer.livejournal.com/) for her encouragement  & [](http://rajkumari905.livejournal.com/profile)[**rajkumari905**](http://rajkumari905.livejournal.com/) and [](http://jehane-writes.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://jehane-writes.livejournal.com/)**jehane_writes** for the beta work; any remaining mistakes are my own. ~~As a journalist I give myself a C for effort, F in deadline-management and C+ in making shit up \o/~~

## Project Runway Exit Interview: David Archuleta

10/21/2010 at 2:26 PM |  comments

He's the crown prince of unintentional hilarity, Sir Non Sequitur, singlehandedly starting a cottage industry in viral YouTube clippings. He's also a rising star in bridal wear with his own store in his hometown -- even before he was in the spotlight on this fashion design reality competition you may have heard of. _Project Runway_ runner-up David Archuleta might not have made it work all the way to the top this season, but his talent and dedication to his craft (and that infectious laugh!) have made him one of its stand-out stars. We caught up with him after the finale for a chat about his work, his post-PR career and the road trip with winner David Cook that you can't deny you want to watch.

**Congratulations on making it to Bryant Park! How was the finale show?**  
It's been great! People have been really supportive -- they came up to me after the [final] episode aired with good things to say about my designs, like how they'd buy my clothes, and want me to design for them, I'm so overwhelmed by everybody's comments and support. And, um, my pants.

**Your pants?**  
I wore this pair of pants David Cook made me back in the makeover challenge. And, I don't know, people really liked them, I guess? They're really nice -- Cook is so amazing and the pants were, like, for the show, but he also gave them to me like a gift, haha -- and people kept asking if they're leather. [laughs] They're very shiny.

**So are they?**  
Um, what?

**Leather? David Cook made you leather pants?**  
Oh my gosh, no. They're just shiny, it's the fabric or something, and you know, the lights we used in the show were very bright. Cook had to tell people that too. I wore the pants because they're nice.

**Good to know. Speaking of Cook, every contestant we've interviewed has a funny Cook story. Do you have one you could share with us?**  
A funny Cook story? Is that a thing now? [laughs] Well, he's very funny. And weird, but, like, in a good way. He really loves his guitar. And golf. He watches golf on tv and, like, he used to call me during the time we were doing our final collections and he'd be watching golf while sewing. He also leaves jokes on my voicemail -- I don't know where he gets them but they're really bad.

**What has doing the show been like for you? Any major learning curves, massive adjustments, that kind of thing?**  
It was a lot more stressful, yeah. I mean, I was cut off from my family and my friends back in Utah, which was hard, and I missed them a lot during the filming. And the challenges were so stressful -- I was, like, used to a slower way of designing, and I was so surprised, like at the beginning, how time goes by so fast and you can't really do what's in your head because you only have, like, three hours left or something. It was like a faster version of what I already do with my work before the show. I had to concentrate on completing the challenges, making my models look lovely, keeping the judges pleased with my designs and paying attention to their comments, so I didn't dwell too long. Otherwise I would have been panicking a lot more, I think. That would have been terrible. [laughs]

**We were all very surprised when you revealed that you're color-blind.**  
I know! Lots of people were. I've always thought it wasn't a big deal. Everybody else on the show was so nice about it. Cook helped me out sometimes when he'd spot me with a fabric or accessory or whatever that -- what did he call them? "Dire", I think. He'd, like, steer me bodily from them. He's a good friend.

**Didn't you two get into a poking match in Mood over a fabric at some point? During the musical genre challenge, we believe.**  
More like a tickling match. [laughs]

**What are your plans now that the show is over?**  
I'm back home and I'm still designing wedding gowns, only now there's a lot of new people coming in due to the show. And there's more teasing about how much I like neutral colors. [laughs] But I've also gotten this amazing offer -- I can't talk about it yet, but I was so surprised and honored when I got the call. I want to start my own line, yeah. I mean, I think I showed what I could do on Project Runway, with all the different challenges and styles. I've shown everybody that I can do a lot of things.

**Can you give us a hint?**  
Um...

**Is it a new reality show?**  
Oh, like the road trip one? [laughs] No, but that would be fun, I think. I don't think I'm, like, the kind of person people are gonna be watching every week--

**You were just on Project Runway.**  
\--no, I mean, like doing just random everyday stuff. I'm a boring person, I didn't even watch myself on TV that much. Syesha [Mercado] and Jason [Castro] and Carly [Smithson] and Cook are, like, more fun to watch, I think. They're cool people.

**We think a David and David road trip across America would be a great show. We'd watch it.**  
That would be interesting. Me and Cook and his guitar and golf. [laughs] I don't even know what we'd do, but I guess Cook's exciting enough for the both of us.

**You didn't watch yourself on TV?**  
No, not really. My family, like, made Project Runway night a huge thing back home, and everybody would watch it and my sisters would call me up with their reactions, and I was like, “No! Don't tell me anything! Lalala.” [laughs] I think -- my older sister was doing it especially because I was so embarrassed. I couldn't even watch the promos on TV when I was on them. I've walked out of rooms if the episodes were showing. I don't know. I'm not, you know, worried that they edited me badly or whatever -- it was a great experience and I learned so much -- but I didn't like seeing myself on TV. I always think I look funny. Not funny ha-ha, but funny lame.

**When we interviewed Syesha and Jason, they both talked about how random people on the streets would come up to them and gush about seeing them on TV. Did that ever happen to you?**  
Oh my gosh, the opposite always happens to me. Strangers tell me that I look like David Archuleta, has anyone ever told me that before? And I'm like, um, yes? It’s always weird when that happens.

**Filed under:** **Project Runway** , **David Archuleta** , TV


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